Canada moves to bolster Arctic presence, says foreign minister

Canada will increase its presence in the Arctic, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said, as U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred turmoil in the region by threatening to annex Greenland.

Canada plans to open a consulate in the semi-autonomous Danish territory next month, Anand told foreign media on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

She said the move had been in the works before the current situation.

“We have no choice but to ensure we’re bolstering our Arctic presence,” Anand said. “Arctic security is very much on our radar.”

Trump over the weekend warned he would impose tariffs on eight European NATO allies that opposed his bid to acquire Greenland, a move that undermines last year’s EU-U.S. trade accord intended to stabilise transatlantic ties.

“We’re talking about acquiring — not leasing, not having it short-term, we’re talking about acquiring, and if we don’t do it, Russia or China will and that’s not going to happen while I’m president,” Trump told reporters over the weekend.

By Aghakazim Guliyev